BC Mess advanced in the M-Coupe Minis (1/16 finals) with a 95-85 win over BBC East Side Pirates in Mondercange. The start was tight (25-24 after Q1), with both teams trading baskets. Mess found a steadier rhythm in the second period behind Noa Priso-Dikoume (13, FRA) and Fabio Freymann, reaching halftime 47-43.
The game tilted after the break. From 52-47, Mess strung together six unanswered points: Priso-Dikoume hit two free throws in a row, then Freymann and Eli Nosbusch added layups for 58-47. The lead peaked at 73-58 late in the third, powered by relentless rim pressure. Pirates answered at the start of the fourth as Emil Denter and Stefan Jankovic combined for a 3-pointer each, and Nicolas Nestgen added another from deep. The gap shrank to seven (88-81), but an unsportsmanlike foul on Denter at 90-83 handed Mess control again; Priso-Dikoume converted at the line, and Louis Clemes plus Freymann closed it out.
Top performers
- Mess: Fabio Freymann led the winners with 35 points (13 2PTM, 9 FTM), a constant presence in the paint and at the stripe. Priso-Dikoume added 27, repeatedly scoring in bursts, including four straight points from the line during the key third-quarter surge. Clemes scored 12, while Gabriel Da Fonseca Rocha chipped 6. Notably, 10-year-old Aziel Flavien Kemevuako contributed 6 off the bench. Mess won despite not making a 3-pointer.
- Pirates: Emil Denter paced all scorers with 36, mixing drives and two made threes. Stefan Jankovic added 27 and a late triple, and Nestgen had 18 with one three. A brief fourth-quarter run kept BEP in touch, but the margin never fell below seven after the third.
Coaching notes: Fernand Musquar's Mess used timeouts to steady momentum late, while Gilles Poos' Pirates tried to disrupt the third-quarter roll. The decisive stretch remained the 6-0 burst early in the second half and Mess' largest lead of 15 at 73-58.
(AI generated)